Pickups with 31 mpg

[PGDriver]

My GMC with the NHT max tow package has the 3.42 gearing, this is what is paired up with the 6.2 motor. These trucks also have the transmission assist downhill braking which can easily be shut off by holding in the tow haul button for a few seconds.

Cheers
Doug

[cpaharley2008]

That higher # will improve you gas economy.

[Lawrence]

One of the reasons the Duramax package is fairly expensive is the inclusion of bundled options which one might want anyway. The 'exhaust brake' uses variable vanes on the turbocharger to increase backpressure, increasing engine braking effect. Other bundled options include integrated trailer brake controller, hitch, G80 locking rear differential, block heater, AutoTrac (standard on Canyons, but the only way to get AutoTrac in a Colorado is to order the Duramax).

I have a Duramax truck on order. Availability is highly limited, especially here in Canada.

My local dealers sold their annual allotment of 2015 Canyon and Colorado _gas_ trucks months ago (in comparison, 2015 full size trucks are still plentiful on lots). I expect the diesels to be in even greater demand, at least for '16.

[steve dunham]

When I bought my 2014 Ram 1500 ,the difference between a truck with the Hemi V8 gas engine and one with the 3.0 ltr diesel engine was $8K. Ram was heavily discounting trucks with the V8 engine but not so for the diesel . I bought the gas engine because I did not see that a diesel added $8K in value and the payback with fuel savings from a diesel could never be obtained.

[Lawrence]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

When I bought my 2014 Ram 1500 ,the difference between a truck with the Hemi V8 gas engine and one with the 3.0 ltr diesel engine was $8K. Ram was heavily discounting trucks with the V8 engine but not so for the diesel . I bought the gas engine because I did not see that a diesel added $8K in value and the payback with fuel savings from a diesel could never be obtained.

$8K US is a huge difference, and would stop me too. The Colorado/Canyon diesel upcharge is currently less than half that (for me), though it depends slightly on how one values the options bundled with the diesel.

Everyone needs to make his/her own decision on cost/benefit of the diesel upcharge, based on driving preferences, fuel and anticipated maintenance costs, and expected resale value. In my case, one factor is that diesel is comparable to gas prices where I live -- in fact, diesel is currently cheaper. I expect to own this truck for >10 years, and I expect petroleum prices will rise significantly faster than general inflation rates over that time, making fuel economy a bigger factor in operating costs. That is, of course, just an educated guess but it factors into my decision. Plus, regardless of actual fuel prices, I see value in burning less fuel if/when I can.

[steve dunham]

The $8k difference in price was due partially to the fact that the diesel engine was a $3500 upgrade over the gas engine . The dealers in my area had few diesels in stock and lots of trucks with gas engines ,so they were willing to deal on the gas trucks. I would believe the same thing will occur with the GM diesel .The demand will be high and the dealers will see no reason to discount them. Diesel fuel in my area is $2.49/gal vs $1.89/gal for gas or a 32% premium for diesel.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Most of the Ram's with tow/haul mode have an engine brake in that once you tap your brake downhill it maintains that speed downhill using the transmission and engine drag.

That's becoming common - essentially letting cruise control use engine braking. My Sienna downshifts on the brake action but doesn't control to set speed, but my (Ford F53-based) motorhome does maintain the cruise control speed, as have a couple of rental cars I've driven. It's most effective, of course, if the engine has adequate braking, which may require an exhaust brake in the case of a diesel.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

As far as the rear end ratio, with the lower 3.73 which is good for towing, a higher ratio will increase economy. I'm surprised with those numbers based upon the spec's.

I'm not sure which part is the surprise. Although the ratio by itself doesn't mean much, the 3.42:1 in both the Colorado Duramax 2.8 and Doug's Sierra 6.2L is relatively tall and thus compatible with decent fuel economy in both the slow-turning Duramax 2.8 and big 6.2L. If that seems too tall for high towing capacity, I'll note that the Duramax just can't spin very fast, and that the 6.2L comes with an 8-speed transmission with a low first gear so it can hit the desired engine speed without needing an unusually short final drive ratio.

[Brian B-P]

Another factor in the diesel option price is that you can't get the diesel in a base Colorado, or base Ram 1500, or base Jeep Grand Cherokee... or the base trim level of most vehicles. If you need to buy $5K to $20K of fancy trim and toys to be allowed to spend another $3K to $8K for the engine, how much is that engine really costing you? Of course if you were going to buy the top trim level anyway, it's just the engine premium.

This - gas versus diesel - is really an individual decision, due both to these pricing issues and differences in the way the vehicle will be used. That 31 mpg number is unloaded and on the highway. If you do a lot of that, the number will matter, just as if you drive a lot, the fuel economy will be more important and there will be more opportunity to make back that price difference in fuel savings.

[Porsche Pilot]

Not only do you need to buy the Colorado with additional options, they are not discounting the diesels while the gas versions can be purchased with $2,000 - $5,000 discounts so the margin is not $3,500 but more like $5,000 - $8,000. Now this is ALOT of gas!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Porsche Pilot

Not only do you need to buy the Colorado with additional options, they are not discounting the diesels while the gas versions can be purchased with $2,000 - $5,000 discounts so the margin is not $3,500 but more like $5,000 - $8,000. Now this is ALOT of gas!

But as I mentioned before, you do have to remember other factors, in performance and cost. The diesels usually outperform gas engines with better towing capacity. Used diesel trucks sell for a heck of a lot more than their gas counterparts. Diesel engines usually last longer too. Lots of other considerations between diesel and gas, and these factors will differ for each individual manufacturer, as well as the end user.

Not saying at all that diesel is always the best option, but just that there are a lot more factors than just the original cost.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

But as I mentioned before, you do have to remember other factors, in performance and cost. The diesels usually outperform gas engines with better towing capacity. Used diesel trucks sell for a heck of a lot more than their gas counterparts. Diesel engines usually last longer too. Lots of other considerations between diesel and gas, and these factors will differ for each individual manufacturer, as well as the end user.

Not saying at all that diesel is always the best option, but just that there are a lot more factors than just the original cost.

Jim here in California ,the used Diesels do not sell for more . The upkeep just changing oil is expensive . And the big one there are times the fuel costs a lot more then gas . That is something new . We never saw that before . Pat

[stephen99]

The gas fueled V6 in the Colorado/Canyon is rated at 305 hp and 269 ft lbs of torque. The diesel numbers are 181 and 369 respectively. What difference would that make in actual use? I am a towing novice looking for a TV. The V6 would be cheaper to purchase. With fuel prices as they are it would probably be a wash in terms of fuel cost. The diesel will get better mileage than the V6 but not by a huge amount. I'm starting to lean toward the V6 but would like some feedback regarding my question: what would be the difference between the two in actual use, i.e. towing?

[Klem]

I'll toss this out. IF you are selecting an internal combustion engine you should pick the cleanest overall engine that does the job. For heavy haulers diesel is obviously the best choice.

For individuals gas should usually be the choice unless they heavy haul, like horses.

Diesel is significantly 'dirtier', it is the nature of the beast.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by stephen99

The gas fueled V6 in the Colorado/Canyon is rated at 305 hp and 269 ft lbs of torque. The diesel numbers are 181 and 369 respectively. What difference would that make in actual use?

At moderate power levels, and thus low engine speeds, it probably won't make a lot of difference. When towing a trailer and faced with a steep grade at highway speeds so you need all the power you can get, it will be a noticeable difference in performance.

Below are the specs for the two engine choices for a Ford Super Duty single-rear-wheel truck under 5 tons GVWR (that's an F-250, or F-350 SRW without the heavy payload package). I note that the diesel is larger in displacement as well as being turbocharged, and as a result has more power than the gas engine - it's not surprising to me that the diesel is commonly preferred. This is not the case for the Colorado's gas and diesel choices - in that case the diesel is smaller and much less powerful.

6.2L Gas V8
385 HP @ 5500 rpm
405 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm

6.7L Power Stroke® Turbo Diesel V8
440 HP @ 2800 rpm
860 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm

Also, in an F-350 or similar truck of another brand, the diesel is an engine designed and built in North America for which service is widely available. The Ram Heavy Duty equivalent (Cummins ISB, Ram version) is famous and has many vocal fans. The Colorado's Duramax 2.8 is probably a fine engine, proven and supported worldwide... but built in Thailand and so far unknown here.

I wouldn't count on better resale value for the diesel in a Colorado, although it may work out that way.

[Brian B-P]

Back to the original subject... this is decently close to 31 mpg (although it is substantially better than the rated fuel economy in the specs):

Originally Posted by ClemsonFan

By the way, this little twin turbo (2.7L) is a quick, powerful, and torquey rascal! Plus, I got 29.9 mpg! on a 100 mile trip albeit at 60-65 mph.

This is a 2015 Ford F-150 SuperCrew 5.5' box EcoBoost 2.7, to be used to tow an Escape 5.0TA.

[tidewater]

As I understand it, the 2.8L Duramax was designed in the VM Motori factory in Italy, the same one that signed the 3.0L diesel in the Ram 1500. In fact, the engine is an upgraded version of the engine in the Jeep Liberty CRD from 2005-6. It is assembled in Thailand.

[cpaharley2008]

I had one of those "cruds" as we called them, nice little tow vehicle for less than 3500# trailers. I got 20 mpg towing and 25 not towing. The down side was the increase in diesel and the $150 oil changes. Unlike the newer models, the 2006 model did not require urea additive.

[tidewater]

Yes, I forgot that Jim had one of the Jeeps. There are certainly several million worldwide and the engine is found in sedans, SUVs, pickups - even London taxicabs. The US version has Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), a turn-off for me in diesel engines.

[cpaharley2008]

Hi Jack,
Hope you and the cat are enjoying your BigFoot. That new Oliver in New York was sold recently.
Have a happy holiday...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by tidewater

As I understand it, the 2.8L Duramax was designed in the VM Motori factory in Italy, the same one that signed the 3.0L diesel in the Ram 1500. In fact, the engine is an upgraded version of the engine in the Jeep Liberty CRD from 2005-6. It is assembled in Thailand.

Interesting - I didn't know that.

I don't know how close the GM engine is to the VM Motori R 428 DOHC or the newer A 428 DOHC (which is listed in Wikipedia as actually used in the worldwide Colorado, even though GM's engine plant in Thailand is not part of VM Motori), but perhaps the long history will be more assuring to potential buyers than just the recent use in the Colorado.